Navigating the Journey to Going Public

Amanda Whalen, CFO of Klaviyo, joins CJ in this episode for a deep dive into the roadshow, the IPO process, and ringing that bell. Amanda reflects on the company’s bold decision to go public last year, despite a challenging macroeconomic environment. She shares the factors that guided the management team's timing, the valuation criteria they used to determine the offering price, and how they prepared for it. Amanda provides insight into the IPO journey, discussing everything from choosing a banker to prepping for earnings calls and building the book for investors. The conversation also explores the evolving CFO role and what Amanda means by the term "CFO plus”. She offers valuable insights on what distinguishes great CFOs from good ones, along with tips for recruiting and developing top talent. Tune in to find out why good CFOs are like dolphins, why you should look at your career like a bingo card, and hear other practical advice and entertaining anecdotes. 

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TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Preview and Intro(02:07) Sponsor - Leapfin | Planful(04:28) The Right Time for a Business to Go Public(09:55) Reasons to Go Public(12:01) Preparing to Go Public(14:41) Earnings Calls(17:54) Sponsor - Mercury | NetSuite | Maxio(20:44) Evaluating the Initial Offering Price(23:47) Deciding Factors When Choosing a Banker(27:33) Advisors You Work With During an IPO(29:57) How Dual Voting Shares Work(31:26) Building the Book for Investors(33:26) What to Expect From a Roadshow(35:44) The CFO Plus Role(38:00) The Qualities of Good CFOs(39:24) Recruiting and Developing Talent(42:47) Recommended Career Detours and Specialties(46:39) Long-Ass Lightning Round: Big Mistakes and Advice(49:25) Finance Software Stack